Combination air drying and cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

First and second containers respectively forming a precooling chamber and a refrigerated chamber are interconnected by tubing and form a passageway for compressed air. The precooling chamber contains a coil circulating a liquid of known temperature. The refrigerated chamber contains the coils of a refrigeration unit for lowering the temperature of the air passing therethrough. The downstream end portion of the tubing, interconnecting the containers, communicates with a cylinder axially disposed within the precooling chamber to absorb the heat of compressed air in its initial pass through the precooling chamber. Both containers contain fibrous material for filtering the air passing therethrough.

United States Patent Moore COMBINATION AIR DRYING AND CLEANING APPARATUS[4 1 July 29, 1975 Primary ExaminerWilliam J. Wye Attorney, Agent, orFirmRobert K. Rhea [76] Inventor: Cleo J. Moore, 3338 NW. 17,

Oklahoma City, Okla. 73107 [22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1974 57 ABSTRACT Appl'5l470l First and second containers respectively forming a precoolingchamber and a refrigerated chamber are [52] US. Cl. 62/272; 62/93;62/85; interconnected by tubing and form a passageway for 62/317compressed air. The precooling chamber contains a [51] Int. Cl. FZSD21/00 coil circulating a liquid of known temperature. The [58] Field ofSearch .1 62/93, 272, 85, 317, I50 refrigerated chamber contains thecoils of a refrigeration unit for lowering the temperature of the airpass- [56] References Cited ing therethrough. The downstream end portionof the UNITED STATES PATENTS tubing, interconnecting the containers,communicates ],O9l,2l5 3/l9l4 Hall 62/93 l l i t 53 1 13086? Within theprecoolmg 1,909,227 5/1933 Shadc 62/272 cam er to a sor the cat 0compressed air In Its 2,375,069 5/1945 Bennett" 62/3 Initial passthrough the precoolmg chamber. Both con- 2,715,945 8/1955 Hankison..62/317 tainers contain fibrous material for filtering the air 2,867,9881/1959 Brandt 62/93 passing therethrough.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 4 Claims, I Drawlng Figure 642,9486/[962 Canada 62/93 :w m -E a: iaseiess T 'P I- :ra s

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' REF comeREsson umr 1/ il TI l/ \l APPARATUS 'BACIKGROUND or TI-IEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention. 4 H The present invention relatesto c'leaningand dehumidifying compressed air and more particularly to anCOMBINATIO N AIRDRYING AND CLEANING apparatus comprising a precoolingchamber connected with a refrigerated chamber which utilizes'thetemperature of the chilled air passing from the refrigerated chamberforreducing the temperature in the pi'ecooling chamber. f g i I As iswell known ambient air contains moisture which, when compressed, stillretains the moisture. Many machines orinstrumentspresently in userequire that the air be free of both moisture and other "contaminates orsolid particles, such as dust. Much of the air drying equipment now inuse employ desiccants which sometimes break down and enter the airstream as fine dust.

This invention provides an apparatus for cleaning the air anddehumidifying it by utilizing a precooling chamber and a refrigeratingunit to reduce the temperature of the compressed air to the dew pointand recirculating the cleaned and dried air through the precoolingchamber in the path of incoming air for absorbing heat from the incomingair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first elongated container forms a precoolingchamber having an inlet for compressed air and an outlet connected bytubing with a second elongated container forming a refrigerated chamberwith its outlet connected by tubing to a cylinder axially disposedwithin the precooling chamber thus forming an air passageway with theair passing in series through the precooling and refrigerated chamberwith the downstream end portion of the passageway disposed within theprecooling chamber. The precooling chamber is provided with a tubularcoil circulating a fluid of known temperature therethrough, such aswater, in heat exchange fashion with the compressed air initiallyentering the precooling chamber. A sealed refrigerating unit has therefrigerant coils thereof helically disposed within the refrigeratedchamber for reducing the temperature of the compressed air to or belowthe dew point. The chilled air, leaving the refrigerated chamber,absorbs heat by conduction when passing through the precooling chamber.Metallic or synthetic fibrous material, contained by both containers,filters the condensed air in a screening fashion and forms a conductorfor temperature transfer of the compressed air passing therethrough.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an apparatus forcleaning and dehumidifying compressed air which conserves energy byrecirculating chilled air through the path of incoming air to bechilled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single FIGURE is a vertical crosssectional view, partially in elevation, of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like charcters of referencedesignate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which theyoccur.

In the drawings:

i The referencenumerals 10 and 12, respectively, indicate upright firstand second casings or containers.

' Moisture .ladden air is introduced under pressure into to thedependingend portion of the second container 12. Other tubing 20 isconnected to the upper end portion of the second container 12 andextends coaxially through the first container 10. An elongated cylinder22, of'less length and smaller diameter than the casing 10, is coaxiallydisposed therein and interposed in the other tubing 20. The tube 16,first and second cham bers l0 and 12, tubing 18 and 20 and cylinder 22thus form an air passageway for compressed air to be cleaned and dried.An elongated length of coiled tubing 24 projects into the firstcontainer 10 and is helically wound loosely around the cylinder 22 andprojects at its downstream end portion 26 through the first containerwall. The purpose of the coiled tubing 24 is to circulate a stream offluid of known temperature, such as water, thus forming a compressed airprecooling chamber 28 within the first container 10.

A closed system refrigerating unit 30 has its coils 32 helically woundand longitudinally extending coaxially within the container 12 thusforming a refrigerated chamber 34 for reducing the temperature ofcompressed air therein to a temperature not greater than 35 F. so thatmoisture contained by the air will precipitate and drain out of thechamber 34 into a drain trap 36 connected to the lowermost end of thecontainer 12 by tubing 38 and a pressure equalizing tube 40 connected tothe other end portion of the container 12.

A second drain trap 42 is similarly connected with the precoolingchamber 28 by a drain tube 44 and pressure equalizing tube 46. Bothchambers 28 and 34 are filled, around the components therein, withfibrous material 48 formed from metallic or synthetic material andcommonly known as wool". The purpose of the fibrous material is to forma strainer for collecting solid particles entrained in the air and toform a conductor and assist in reducing the temperature of thecompressed air by minimizing convection currents.

The chambers, compressor and refrigerating unit are preferably mountedon separate table-like stands 50, 5l and 52 so that additional units maybe added thereto in a compound manner as may be necessary to clean anddry a given volume of air.

OPERATION The operation of the device seems obvious in that compressedair flows through the air passageway, in the direction indicated by thearrows 54, which is initially precooled in the precooling chamber 28 bywater circulated through the coiled tubing 24. Its temperature isreduced to the dew point in the refrigerated chamber 34 by therefrigerant coils 32, and absorbs heat from air initially entering theprecooling chamber through the walls of the cylinder 22. Thus some ofthe energy necessary to reduce the temperature of the compressed air inthe refrigerated chamber 34 is utilized before the chilled air leavesthe air passageway downstream outlet from the precooling chamber to areservoir or equip ment being operated, not shown.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations withoutdefeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined tothe preferred emf bodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for dehumidifying compressed air,

comprising:

a source of compressed air;

a first elongated container forming a precooling chamber and airpassageway for the flow of compressed air;

first heat exchange means including a coil extending through saidcontainer and circulating a fluid of known temperature within said firstcontainer;

a second elongated container forming a continuation of the airpassageway;

second heat exchange means including a closed refrigerating unit havinga refrigerant containing coil disposed within said second container;and,

piping means forming a part of the air passageway and connecting saidcontainers with each other and with the source of compressor air, thedownstream end portion of said piping means extending coaxially throughsaid first container.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said 5 first heatexchange means further includes:

a third container interposed in the downstream end portion of saidpiping means and coaxially disposed within said first container.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 and further including:

fibrous material contained by said first and second containers forremoving impurities in suspension within the air passageway.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 and further ini 5 eluding:

moisture draining means communicating with said first and secondcontainers, respectively.

1. An apparatus for dehumidifying compressed air, comprising: a sourceof compressed air; a first elongated container forming a precoolingchamber and air passageway for the flow of compressed air; first heatexchange means including a coil extending through said container andcirculating a fluid of Known temperature within said first container; asecond elongated container forming a continuation of the air passageway;second heat exchange means including a closed refrigerating unit havinga refrigerant containing coil disposed within said second container;and, piping means forming a part of the air passageway and connectingsaid containers with each other and with the source of compressor air,the downstream end portion of said piping means extending coaxiallythrough said first container.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 inwhich said first heat exchange means further includes: a third containerinterposed in the downstream end portion of said piping means andcoaxially disposed within said first container.
 3. The apparatusaccording to claim 2 and further including: fibrous material containedby said first and second containers for removing impurities insuspension within the air passageway.
 4. The apparatus according toclaim 3 and further including: moisture draining means communicatingwith said first and second containers, respectively.